Dendranthema plant named ‘Pumpkin Igloo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dendranthema  plant named ‘Pumpkin Igloo’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded to almost spherical plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant form; uniform and freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences; orange bronze-colored ray florets; natural season flowering occurs about September 13 to 20 in Pennsylvania; and good garden performance and winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Dendranthema×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PUMPKIN IGLOO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Dendranthema plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a perennial garden-type Dendranthema plant, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pumpkin Igloo’.

The new Dendranthema is the product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new perennial garden-type Dendranthema plants having uniformly mounding plant habit, inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive ray and disc floret shapes and colors, winter hardiness and good garden performance.

The new Dendranthema plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number N0534, not patented. The new Dendranthema plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the mutation parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Alva, Fla. on Nov. 26, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dendranthema plant by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Alva, Fla. in January, 2009 and such asexual propagation has shown that the unique features of this new Dendranthema plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Dendranthema have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pumpkin Igloo’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pumpkin Igloo’ as a new and distinct garden-type Dendranthema plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded to almost         spherical plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant form.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences.     -   5. Orange bronze-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering occurs about September 13 to 20 in         Pennsylvania.     -   7. Good garden performance and winter hardiness.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Dendranthema differ from plants of the mutation parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the mutation parent selection have salmon pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Dendranthema can be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Dazzling Yostacy’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,222. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Dendranthema differ from plants of ‘Dazzling Yostacy’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Dendranthema are slightly larger than         plants of ‘Dazzling Yostacy’.     -   2. Plants of the new Dendranthema flower earlier than plants of         ‘Dazzling Yostacy’.     -   3. Plants of the new Dendranthema and ‘Dazzling Yostacy’ differ         in ray flower color as plants of ‘Dazzling Yostacy’ have red and         yellow bi-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Dendranthema showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Dendranthema plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pumpkin Igloo’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pumpkin Igloo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the early autumn in 25-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in Lancaster, Pa. and under cultural practices typical of commercial garden-type Dendranthema production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 26.7° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15.6° C. to 18.3° C. Plants were five months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Pumpkin Igloo’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary     selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number     N0534, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial garden-type Dendranthema             plant with daisy-type inflorescences; upright, outwardly             spreading and uniformly mounding to almost spherical plant             habit; strong and vigorous growth habit.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit, about primary             lateral branches developing at potentially every node, each             primary lateral with multiple secondary and tertiary             branches; dense and full plant form; pinching is not             required.         -   Plant height.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 37.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.5 cm. Diameter: About             125 mm. Internode length: About 1.25 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent, minute; longitudinally ridged. Color:             Close to 146A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             3.2 cm. Width: About 2.2 cm. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate.             Base: Attenuate to truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed,             sinuses between lateral lobes mostly parallel to divergent.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent, minute; veins prominent on lower             surface. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A;             venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to             146A. Petioles: Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent; minute. Color, upper surface: Close to             N137A. Color, lower surface: Close to 137B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Type and arrangement.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; disc and ray florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences face             mostly upright to outwardly and held above and beyond the             foliar plane on strong peduncles.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower about September 13 to 20 in Pennsylvania.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three to six weeks on the plant             depending on temperatures; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about five inflorescences developing per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 3 mm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to N137A to N137B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 3.5 mm.         -   Receptacle color.—Close to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 64 ray florets             develop per inflorescence and arranged in about three to             four whorls. Length: About 2.1 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape:             Elongated oblong. Apex: Mostly obtuse. Base: Attenuate and             then fused into a short tube. Margin: Entire. Orientation:             Initially upright, then arching outwardly. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety;             longitudinally ribbed. Color: When opening, upper surface:             Close to N172B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 163B             to 163C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to N172C; color             does not fade with development. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 163C; color does not fade with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 64 fused disc             florets develop per inflorescence and massed at the center             of the capitulum. Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About             1.5 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed.             Texture, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 12A. Mid-section: Close to 150D.             Base: Close to NN155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 14 phyllaries             develop per inflorescence and arranged in about two whorls.             Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire;             membraneous. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent, minute. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 4.4 cm. Diameter, terminal peduncle:             About 1.5 mm. Angle: Mostly upright or curving upright.             Strength: Strong, wiry. Texture: Pubescent; minute. Color:             Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets             only): Stamen number: Five per floret. Filament length:             About 4 mm. Filament color: Close to 150D. Anther length:             Less than 1 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther color:             Close to 12A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium             (present on ray and disc florets): Pistil length: About             4.5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 6A.             Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close to 154D. Ovary             color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Dendranthema. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Dendranthema plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Dendranthema grown under commercial production conditions. -   Garden performance & temperature tolerance: Plants of the new     Dendranthema have demonstrated excellent garden performance, are     hardy to USDA Zone 5 and tolerate high temperatures about 37.8° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Dendranthema plant named ‘Pumpkin Igloo’ as illustrated and described. 